Dispensing device for odorizing liquefied petroleum gas



June 10, 1958 J. w. WILKINSON 2,838,206

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR ODORIZING LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS Filed April 17, 1956 INVENT OR John W. Wilhinson ATTORNEYS Patented June 10, 1958 flice DISPENSING DEVICE FOR ODORIZING LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS John W. Wilkinson, Hamden, Conn., assignor to Humphrey-Wilkinson, Incorporated, North Haven, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application April 17, 1956, Serial No. 578,667 Claims. (Cl. 22283) The present invention relates to a novel device particularly adapted and suited for injecting and admixing an odorizing liquid into a supply of liquefied petroleum gas to be used in domestic or industrial systems handling such fluids in closed systems. The device, however, is equally applicable for dispensing the contents of sealed containers for any other purpose or application.

In the field of liquefied petroleum gas, it is common practice to admix With the gas or liquid a strong odorizing medium, ethyl mercaptan for example, to enable consumers to immediately detect such gases in the event of leakage or seepage thereof into the atmosphere. The necessity of maintaining liquefied petroleum gases under pressure renders the admixture of an additive with such gases a diflicult problem. It is also impractical to merely pour the contents of an odorizer container directly into the tank wherein liquefied petroleum gas is stored under pressure.

A primary object of the present invention is accordingly the provision of an appropriate device and means to facilitate dispensing the odorizer medium from cans or other containers, and admixing said contents with the hydrocarbon liquids or gases in an entirely closed system.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for dispensing the contents of sealed containers, and, at the same time, admixing the contents of such containers with an extraneous fluid or gas.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device which is relatively inexpensive, simple in operation and conveniently manipulated for the purposes in view.

In its broadest aspects, the invention contemplates a dispensing device for fluid systems, especially those designed for handling liquefied petroleum gases, comprising a cylinder having inlet and outlet passages and a piston provided with a puncturing head operable between said inlet and outlet passages, a receptacle in the cylinder removed from the inlet passage for fluid containers being dispensed and means operable, after the containers are punctured and the contents thereof released, for the communicating fluid pressure from the upper portion of the cylinder to scavenge the fluid contents from the lower portion of the cylinder into the outlet passage.

The invention also contemplates a system incorporating a cylindrical device of the character described whereby containers for odorizing liquids are automatically punctured and the contents thereof released and conveyed by fluid pressure from the system itself into the main conduit of the system.

Referring to the drawings, it Will be observed that:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a fluid system of the type for which the present dispensing device is especially adapted;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section showing the essential internal features of the dispensing device; and

Fig. 3 is a detail of a perforate piston forming a portion of the overall assembly.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that the dispensing device of the present invention is indicated in general by the numeral 10, and is connected to a main flow line 11 through which liquefied petroleum gas is pumped from a supply tank 12 by a pumping device 13. The main flow line 11 may be connected through a valve 14 to a tank car 15 or other appropriate depository.

Referring in greater detail to the device 10, it will be observed that it is of cylindrical form and comprises a lower chamber 16 which includes a barrel or receptacle 17 against which a number of containers 18 for an odorizer liquid or other liquid being dispensed are positioned. The containers 18 for the odorizer are inserted into the cylinder 10 through a sealing cap 19 at the top of the device. Operably disposed within the cylinder is a plunger 20 which includes a puncturing head 21, a perforate piston 22 and a solid piston 23. A ring 24 is provided at the end of the plunger to facilitate the removal thereof from the cylinder 10 to allow insertion of the desired number of containers 18 for odorizer liquid into the bottom of the cylinder 10. A passage 24 is provided upon the side of the cylinder 10 to allow fluid under pressure to flow from the upper portion of the cylinder above the solid piston 23 to the lower portion of the cylinder 10, through the perforate piston 22 and to the outlet 28.

This occurs after the puncturing head-21 has passed entirely through the one or more containers 18 to the position shown in the solid lines of the drawings, and the fluid from the upper portion of the cylinder 10 serves to scavenge the liquid contents of the containers 18 from the lower portion of the cylinder.

The device is adapted to be operated by closing the valve 14 in the main flow line 11 and opening the valves 25 and 26 for the inlet 27 and the outlet 28 of the cylinder 10. With the valves 25 and 26in closed position, the cans of odorizing liquid are inserted into the device 10, the number of cans depending upon the capacity of the tank car or truck 15 being filled with liquefied petroleum gas or other hydrocarbon liquid, for example.

After the desired number of cans have been inserted into the chamber 16 of the cylinder 10, the plunger 20 will occupy a position in the upper portion of the device, with the solid piston 23 approaching the inlet 27, as clearly indicated indotted lines. The inlet valve 35 and outlet valve 26 may then be opened and the pump 13 in the main flow line 11 set into operation While the main flow line valve 14 is in closed position.

The liquefied petroleum gas or fluid under pressure then enters the device 10 through the inlet 27, thereby rapidly forcing the plunger 20, perforate piston 22, solid piston 23, and puncturing head 21 downwardly, and piercing consecutively the containers 18 for the odorizer until the plunger reaches its lowermost position, as shown in the drawings. The contents of the containers 18 are thereby released and flow through the outlet 28, the main flow line 11, and into the tank car or other depository 15.

When the plunger 20 has reached the solid line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the puncturing head 21 has pierced one or more containers 18 disposed in the lower portion of the cylinder 10 and released the contents thereof. It will be observed that the solid piston 23 has, at this point, exposed the inlet to the passage 24 allowing fluid under presure to pass therethrough into the lower portion of the cylinder and scavenge the released contents of the containers 18 into the outlet passage 28.

It will be observed that the foregoing sequence of operations is accomplished entirely in a closed system, thereby eliminating the dangers incident to opening the system for the injection of the necessary odorizing liquid. After the contents of the odorizer containers 18 has been expressed from the interior of the dispensing device 10, the valves 25 and 26 for the inlet and outlet passages are closed, and the valve 14 in the main supply line opened 3 to deliver the desired amount of liquefied petroleum gas or other fluid from the main supply tank 12 directly to the tank car 15. The number of cans of odorizer liquid 18 used in any particular instance will, of course, depend upon the capacity of tank car 15.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention and the claims.

What I claim is:

1. A dispensing device comprising a source of fluid under pressure, an elongated cylinder having spaced inlet and outlet passages therefor and a piston provided with a puncturing head operable by fluid under pressure traveling from the inlet tothe outlet passages acting on said piston, a receptacle in the cylinder at a point remote from the inlet passage for a container for fluid being dispensed, whereby the piston and puncturing head are driven toward the outlet by fluid inlet pressure to puncture the container and release the contents thereof and means for communicating the fluid inlet pressure from the fluid inlet side to the other side of the piston when the piston has reached a predetermined point to scavenge the contents of the container and carry the same into the outlet of the cylinder.

2. A dispensing device comprising a source of fluid under pressure, an elongated cylinder having spaced inlet and outlet passages therefor and a piston provided with a puncturing head operable by fluid under pressure traveling from the inlet to the outlet passages acting on said piston, a receptacle in the cylinder at a point remote from the inlet passage for a container for fluid being dispensed, whereby the piston and puncturing head are driven toward the outlet by fluid inlet pressure to puncture the container and release the contents thereof and a passage communicating an upper portion of the cylinder below the inlet with a lower portion thereof above the outlet, said passage being positioned relative to the cylinder at a point of its travel so that fluid from the upper portion bypasses the piston and passes into the lower portion of the cylinder to scavenge the contents of the container therefrom after being released by the puncturing head of the piston.

3. A dispensing device comprising a source of fluid under pressure, an elongated cylinder having spaced inlet and outlet passages therefor and a piston provided with a puncturing head operable by fluid under pressure traveling from the inlet to the outlet passages acting on said piston, a receptacle in the cylinder at a point remote from the inlet passage for a container for fluid being dispensed, whereby the piston and puncturing head are driven toward the outlet by fluid inlet pressure to puncture the container and release the contents thereof, and a passage connecting an upper portion of the cylinder below the inlet with a lower portion thereof above the outlet when the piston has reached a point midway between the inlet and outlet to said passage, and the puncturing head has fractured the fluid container, and released the contents thereof.

4. A dispensing device comprising an elongated cylinder, spaced inlet and outlet passages for the cylinder, a receptacle at one end of the cylinder between the inlet and outlet passages at a point spaced from the inlet passage for a container having fluid to be dispensed, a piston within the cylinder operable by fluid pressure between the inlet and outlet passages acting on said piston, a puncturing head on the piston, means connected with the fluid inlet passage for scavenging the fluid contents of the container from the receptacle into the outlet passage after fracture by the puncturing head of said piston.

5. A dispensing device for fluid systems comprising a source of fluid under pressure, and a device for injecting a supply of odorizing liquid into said pressurized fluid, including a cylinder having spaced inlet and outlet passages connccted to the fluid supply source, a piston in the cylinder operable between the inlet and outlet passages by said pressurized fluid and having secured to the side toward the outlet passage a puncturing head, a receptacle in the cylinder for a container of odorizing liquid disposed above the outlet passage of the cylinder, the length of the puncturing head being such that the container of odorizing liquid is punctured in such a manner as to form a fluid flow passage for scavenging flow therethrough when the piston has passed the inlet to said passage, and a bypass passage communicating an upper portion of cylinder with a lower portion thereof when the puncturing head has pierced the container, so that fluid pressure above the piston is communicated to the lower portion of the cylinder to scavenge the contents of the container and convey the same into the main conduit of the system.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 434,106 Crane Aug. 12, 1890 1,382,633 DeVito June 28, 1921 FOREIGN PATENTS 880,984 France Jan. 15, 1943 693,636 Great Britain July 1, 1953 

4. A DISPENSING DEVICE COMPRISINGG AN ELONGATED CYLINDER, SPACED INLET, AND OUTLET PASSAGES FOR THE CYLINDER, A RECEPTACLE AT ONE END OF THE CYLINDER BETWEEN THE INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES AT A POINT SPACED FROM THE INLET PASSAGE FOR A CONTAINER HAVING FLUID TO BE DISPENSED, A PISTON WITHIN THE CYLINDER OPERABLE BY FLUID PRESSURE BETWEEN THE INLET AND OUTLET PASSAGES ACTING ON SAID PISTON, A PUNCTURING HEAD ON THE PISTON, MEANS CONNECTED WITH THE FLUID INLET PASSAGE FOR SCAVENGING THE FLUID CONTENTS OF THE CONTAINER FROM THE RECEPTACLE INTO THE OUTLET PASSAGE AFTER FRACTURE BY THE PUNCTURING HEAD OF SAID PISTON. 